A year on, the senior forest official recounts his experiences and speaks on plans to continue with his research on butterflies.
Despite the traumatic experience of being abducted by the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) militants in Arunachal Pradesh, city-based Indian Forest Officer Vilas Bardekar has decided to continue with his research on butterflies.
He was kidnapped on May 12 last while studying some rare species of butterflies in the jungles of Arunachal Pradesh.
“On May 12 this year I was recalling that incident and was thinking what was on my mind exactly a year ago when I got kidnapped by those militants. I wasn’t sure that I would be alive to see this day. But now my spirits are high and I will continue my
research. I have no bitterness about what happened to me,” said Bardekar, who is working as the joint director (administration) of the social forestry department in Pune.
Bardekar is now working on his next book ‘Butterflies of Central India’ along with co-author Jayant Wadkar.
Bardekar was abducted from Eagle’s Nest Wildlife Sanctuary in West Kameng district, 250 km from Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh. He remained in captivity for almost 81 days.
In February this year, he published his book Pokhila, (which means butterflies in Assamese), based on those
experiences.
Recalling that incident on May 12 last, he said, “I spent the whole day clicking pictures of butterflies and tribal people. In the evening when I was checking references, a group of men entered my room and started questioning. After some arguments they started hitting me with the butts of their AK-56 rifles and tied my hands and took me deep inside the forest, on their motorcycles. At that moment I had absolutely no idea of who they were and why they had caught me?
Later when I realised the situation, I panicked,” said Bardekar.
Talking about the physical and mental stress he went through, he said,“Though the militants were kind to me, living in that
jungle without any aid was quite torturous. I fractured two of my toes but I had to walk for days without any food and proper clothing. Moreover, the uncertainty of life and death was so
overwhelming that I thought of committing suicide many a times, but never attempted it.”
When asked about how he recovered from this experience, he said, “It was quite difficult for me and my family. Before the incident I had an ordinary life, but it changed dramatically with all the media attention I received after my release. It was the most difficult phase of my life as I had to struggle to remain down to earth.”
“I also suffered from a temporary memory lapse for a few months. I couldn’t even remember my relatives and friends. It was the result of long-term isolation. But slowly I recovered from that too,” added Bardekar.
However, he still mourns the two kids, Pappu and Shankar, who were abducted with him.
“I feel sorry for them. I also felt sad when I learnt about Arunachal chief minister Dorji Khandu. He had tried in every way for my release. He was a good man,” said the forest officer.
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